ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Better way to track emerging cell therapies using MRIs
• Domestic violence likely more frequent for same-sex couples
• Possible 6,800 new Ebola cases this month, research predicts
• Pathway that contributes to Alzheimer's disease revealed by research
• Genetically driven gut feelings help female flies choose a mate
• Gene responsible for traits involved in diabetes discovered
• Simple test can help detect Alzheimer's before dementia signs show, study shows
• Graphene sensor tracks down cancer biomarkers
• Some patients with advanced, incurable cancer denied palliative care
• The effects of soy and whey protein supplementation on acute hormonal reponses to resistance exercise in men
• Children who go to preschool achieve higher grades at high school graduation, British study shows
• Obesity in Pacific islands 'a colonial legacy' of settlers trying to civilize the locals
• Sibling bullying linked to later depression, self-harm
• Shrink-wrapping spacesuits: Spacesuits of the future may resemble a streamlined second skin
• Brain uses three perceptual parameters to recognize 'gloss'
• Mitochondria's role in neurodegenerative diseases clearer thanks to mouse study
• MS drug candidate shows new promise
• Bad cold or Enterovirus 68? Infectious diseases specialist answers common questions
• Wireless sensor transmits tumor pressure
• Premature deaths could be reduced by 40% over next 20 years, researchers say
• Mycotoxin present in many types of food deteriorates neuroregeneration
• Even Without Kids, Couples Eat Frequent Family Meals
• New biomedical implants heal bones faster, focus on personalized medicine
• Gun deaths twice as high among African-Americans as white citizens in US
• Double mastectomy: 'Angelina Effect' in referrals for genetic counseling and breast cancer testing
• Quorum-sensing signals control when bacteria turn deadly
• Cooling of dialysis fluids protects against brain damage
• Vitamin E, selenium supplements unlikely to affect age-related cataracts in men
• Research milestone in CCHF virus could help identify new treatments
• Providing private mental health service to veterans: Hurdles, challenges, advice
• Research discovers means to free immune system to destroy cancer
• Curcumin, special peptides boost cancer-blocking PIAS3 to neutralize cancer-activating STAT3 in mesothelioma
• Down Syndrome helps researchers understand Alzheimer's disease
• Monitoring Ebola in wild great apes -- using poop
• Suicide Prevention Requires Access to Effective, Evidence-Based Treatment
• Researchers discover how circular RNA is created, find link to degenerative disease
• 3-D shape processing in brain: New discovery on how objects, places are processed

Better way to track emerging cell therapies using MRIs Posted: 19 Sep 2014 11:28 AM PDT The first human tests of using a perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracer in combination with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging to track therapeutic immune cells injected into patients with colorectal cancer have been reported by scientists.

Domestic violence likely more frequent for same-sex couples Posted: 19 Sep 2014 11:08 AM PDT Domestic violence occurs at least as frequently, and likely even more so, between same-sex couples compared to opposite-sex couples, according to a new review of research. Abuse is underreported in same-sex couples due to the stigma of sexual orientation, researchers note.

Possible 6,800 new Ebola cases this month, research predicts Posted: 19 Sep 2014 11:08 AM PDT A possible 6,800 new Ebola cases this are predicted this month, as suggested by researchers who used modelling analysis to come up with their figures. The rate of new cases significantly increased in August in Liberia and Guinea, around the time that a mass quarantine was put in place, indicating that the mass quarantine efforts may have made the outbreak worse than it would have been otherwise.

Pathway that contributes to Alzheimer's disease revealed by research Posted: 19 Sep 2014 11:07 AM PDT A defect in a key cell-signaling pathway has been discovered that researchers say contributes to both overproduction of toxic protein in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients as well as loss of communication between neurons — both significant contributors to this type of dementia.

Genetically driven gut feelings help female flies choose a mate Posted: 19 Sep 2014 09:49 AM PDT Even among flies, mating is a complicated ritual. Their elaborate, and entirely innate, courtship dance combines multiple motor skills with advanced sensory cues. Now, researchers have determined that the Abdominal-B (Abd-B) gene, previously known as the gene that sculpts the posterior parts of the developing fly, is also important for this complex behavior, at least in the case of female flies.

Gene responsible for traits involved in diabetes discovered Posted: 19 Sep 2014 09:22 AM PDT A new gene associated with fasting glucose and insulin levels in rats, mice and in humans, has been discovered by researchers. 29 million Americans have diabetes -- more than nine percent of the total population. It is the 7th leading cause of death, and experts estimate diabetes is an underreported cause of death because of the comorbidities and complications associated with the disease.

Simple test can help detect Alzheimer's before dementia signs show, study shows Posted: 19 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT A simple test that combines thinking and movement can help to detect heightened risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in a person, even before there are any telltale behavioural signs of dementia, researchers report, adding that the findings don't predict who will develop Alzheimer's disease, but they do show there is something different in the brains of those who go on to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Graphene sensor tracks down cancer biomarkers Posted: 19 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT An ultrasensitive biosensor made from the wonder material graphene has been used to detect molecules that indicate an increased risk of developing cancer. The biosensor has been shown to be more than five times more sensitive than bioassay tests currently in use, and was able to provide results in a matter of minutes, opening up the possibility of a rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tool for patients.

Some patients with advanced, incurable cancer denied palliative care Posted: 19 Sep 2014 08:06 AM PDT Many patients with advanced, incurable cancer do not receive any palliative care, reveals new research. The findings are astonishing as they come at the same time as 15 new oncology centres in Europe, Canada, South America and Africa are being awarded the title of 'ESMO Designated Centre of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care.'

The effects of soy and whey protein supplementation on acute hormonal reponses to resistance exercise in men Posted: 19 Sep 2014 08:05 AM PDT With protein supplement use by athletes on the rise, a group of researchers expanded upon prior research examining the effects of soy and whey protein supplementation on testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and cortisol responses to an acute bout of resistance exercise.

Children who go to preschool achieve higher grades at high school graduation, British study shows Posted: 19 Sep 2014 07:44 AM PDT A child is likely to achieve better grades in high school and ultimately earn higher wages if they have received a preschool education, a new UK study suggests. High school achievement was rated by grades achieved for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in the UK.

Obesity in Pacific islands 'a colonial legacy' of settlers trying to civilize the locals Posted: 19 Sep 2014 07:14 AM PDT Scientists have known for some time that Pacific islanders are more prone to obesity than people in other nations. Now a new study has examined why islanders on Nauru and in the Cook Islands in the Pacific have the highest levels and fastest rates of obesity increase in the world. On both the islands, between 1980 and 2008 the increase in the average body mass index was four times higher than the global average.

Sibling bullying linked to later depression, self-harm Posted: 19 Sep 2014 07:02 AM PDT A new study has found that children who revealed they had been bullied by their brothers or sisters several times a week or more during early adolescence were twice as likely to report being clinically depressed as young adults.

Shrink-wrapping spacesuits: Spacesuits of the future may resemble a streamlined second skin Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:48 AM PDT For future astronauts, the process of suiting up may go something like this: Instead of climbing into a conventional, bulky, gas-pressurized suit, an astronaut may don a lightweight, stretchy garment, lined with tiny, musclelike coils. She would then plug in to a spacecraft's power supply, triggering the coils to contract and essentially shrink-wrap the garment around her body.

Brain uses three perceptual parameters to recognize 'gloss' Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT The brain uses three perceptual parameters, the contrast-of-highlight, sharpness-of-highlight, or brightness of the object, as parameters when the brain recognizes a variety of glosses, researchers have discovered. They also found that different parameters are represented by different populations of neurons.

Mitochondria's role in neurodegenerative diseases clearer thanks to mouse study Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:27 AM PDT A new study sheds light on a longstanding question about the role of mitochondria in debilitating and fatal motor neuron diseases and resulted in a new mouse model to study such illnesses. Mitochondria are organelles -- compartments contained inside cells -- that serve several functions, including making ATP, a nucleotide that cells convert into chemical energy to stay alive. For this reason mitochondria often are called "cellular power plants."

MS drug candidate shows new promise Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:27 AM PDT Positive new data have been released on a drug candidate, RPC1063, for relapsing multiple sclerosis. According to the results from a six-month Phase 2 study of 258 multiple sclerosis patients, the drug candidate reduced the annualized relapse rate of participants with multiple sclerosis by up to 53 percent, compared with placebo. The potential therapy also decreased the emergence of new brain damage seen by MRI by more than 90 percent.

Bad cold or Enterovirus 68? Infectious diseases specialist answers common questions Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:27 AM PDT Does your child have Enterovirus 68 or just a bad cold? It can be hard to tell the difference between the two, but an infectious diseases specialist suggests how parents should treat their kids' symptoms and when to seek medical attention.

Wireless sensor transmits tumor pressure Posted: 19 Sep 2014 06:27 AM PDT A novel sensor that can wirelessly relay pressure readings from inside a tumor has been developed by researchers. The interstitial pressure inside a tumor is often remarkably high compared to normal tissues and is thought to impede the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents as well as decrease the effectiveness of radiation therapy. While medications exist that temporarily decrease tumor pressure, identifying the optimal window to initiate treatment -- when tumor pressure is lowest -- has remained a challenge.

Premature deaths could be reduced by 40% over next 20 years, researchers say Posted: 19 Sep 2014 05:39 AM PDT With sustained international efforts, the number of premature deaths could be reduced by 40% over the next two decades (2010-2030), researchers say, halving under–50 mortality and preventing a third of the deaths at ages 50–69 years.

Mycotoxin present in many types of food deteriorates neuroregeneration Posted: 19 Sep 2014 05:39 AM PDT The effect of Ochratoxin A on the subventricular zone of the brain, which in the adult mammalian brain is where neurogenesis primarily occurs, has been the focus of recent research.

Even Without Kids, Couples Eat Frequent Family Meals Posted: 19 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Couples and other adult family members living without minors in the house are just as likely as adults living with young children or adolescents to eat family meals at home on most days of the week, new research suggests.

New biomedical implants heal bones faster, focus on personalized medicine Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:34 PM PDT A major success in developing new biomedical implants with the ability to accelerate bone healing has been reported by a group of scientists, which suggests a move toward a future of personalized products. "It is very much like your taste in music and TV shows. People are different and the new trend in biotechnology is to make personalized medicine that matches the patient's needs," he says. "With regard to implants, we have the problem of variations in bone density in patients with osteoporosis and in some cases, even healthy individuals."

Gun deaths twice as high among African-Americans as white citizens in US Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:01 PM PDT Gun deaths are twice as high among African-Americans as they are among white citizens in the US, finds a study of national data. But the national figures, which have remained relatively steady over the past decade, mask wide variation in firearms deaths by ethnicity and state, the findings show.

Double mastectomy: 'Angelina Effect' in referrals for genetic counseling and breast cancer testing Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:01 PM PDT Referrals for genetic counseling and testing for breast cancer risk more than doubled across the UK after actress Angelina Jolie announced in May last year that she tested positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation and underwent a double mastectomy. The rise in referrals continued through to October long after the announcement was made, a study shows.

Quorum-sensing signals control when bacteria turn deadly Posted: 18 Sep 2014 05:59 PM PDT No matter how many times it's demonstrated, it's still hard to envision bacteria as social, communicating creatures. But by using a signaling system called "quorum sensing," these single-celled organisms radically alter their behavior to suit their population. Chemists now report that they have been making artificial compounds that mimic the natural quorum-sensing signals.

Cooling of dialysis fluids protects against brain damage Posted: 18 Sep 2014 05:59 PM PDT Dialysis drives progressive white matter brain injury due to blood pressure instability, however, patients who dialyzed at 0.5 degrees Celcius below body temperature were completely protected against such white matter changes, a study shows.

Vitamin E, selenium supplements unlikely to affect age-related cataracts in men Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT Taking daily supplements of selenium or vitamin E appears to have no significant effect on the development of age-related cataracts in men. Some research, including animal studies, has suggested that dietary nutrients can have an effect on the onset and progression of cataracts. Vitamin E and selenium are of particular interest.

Research milestone in CCHF virus could help identify new treatments Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:22 PM PDT New research into the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a tick-borne virus which causes a severe hemorrhagic disease in humans similar to that caused by Ebolavirus, has identified new cellular factors essential for CCHFV infection. This discovery has the potential to lead to novel targets for therapeutic interventions against the pathogen.

Providing private mental health service to veterans: Hurdles, challenges, advice Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:09 PM PDT A new report provides insights about the hurdles faced when providing private mental health services to US veterans, an issue that has gained importance as officials work to reform the Veterans Health Administration. The report outlines the experiences of program that offers an array of services to veterans and their families.

Research discovers means to free immune system to destroy cancer Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:09 PM PDT The crucial role an inflammatory protein known as Chop plays in the body's ability to fight cancer. Results demonstrate, for the first time, that Chop regulates the activity and accumulation of cells that suppress immune response against tumors. With Chop removed, the T-cells of the immune system mounted an effective attack on the cancer cells, revealing a new target for the development of immunotherapies to treat cancer.

Curcumin, special peptides boost cancer-blocking PIAS3 to neutralize cancer-activating STAT3 in mesothelioma Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT A common Asian spice and cancer-hampering molecules show promise in slowing mesothelioma, cancer of the lung lining linked to asbestos. Scientists demonstrate curcumin and cancer-inhibiting peptides increase a protein inhibitor that slows mesothelioma.

Down Syndrome helps researchers understand Alzheimer's disease Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT The link between a protein typically associated with Alzheimer's disease and its impact on memory and cognition may not be as clear as once thought, according to a new study. Researchers looked at the role of the brain protein amyloid-beta in adults living with Down syndrome, a genetic condition that leaves people more susceptible to developing Alzheimer's.

Monitoring Ebola in wild great apes -- using poop Posted: 18 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT A group of international scientists has developed a new method to study Ebola virus in wildlife. The new methodology exploits the fact that, like humans, apes surviving viral infections develop antibodies against them. Typically, those antibodies are measured in the blood. The scientists, however, developed a laboratory technique that can isolate antibodies from ape feces.

Suicide Prevention Requires Access to Effective, Evidence-Based Treatment Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT Suicide is preventable, but not all Americans have access to effective treatment and crisis intervention, a member of the American Psychological Association has told a congressional panel.

Researchers discover how circular RNA is created, find link to degenerative disease Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:09 AM PDT Our genetic information is stored in DNA, tiny strands of nucleic acid that contain instructions for the functioning of our bodies. To express this genetic data, our DNA is copied into RNA molecules, which then translate the instructions into proteins that perform tasks in our cells. In addition to known RNAs, circRNA molecules are abundant, yet little has been known about how they are produced, and next to nothing has been known about the role they play in disease. Now, researchers have discovered how circRNAs are produced.

3-D shape processing in brain: New discovery on how objects, places are processed Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:09 AM PDT While previous studies of the brain suggest that processing of objects and places occurs in very different locations, a research team has now found that they are closely related, and in fact, a major pathway long associated with object shape also carries information about landscapes and other environments.

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